Council of London 1102

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walwyn mar, 09/30/2025 - 11:58
jeudi, May 1, 1102 to samedi, May 31, 1102

The Council of London of 1102 was held during May 1102, in St Peter's Church Westminster, under Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury during the reign of King Henry I. The council issued a set 29 of church laws (canons) aimed at reforming morals and strengthening church discipline.

These canons reinforced celibacy by forbidding priests, deacons, and subdeacons from marrying, and condemned concubinage among the clergy. Condemned the buying and selling of church offices. Prohibited the slave trade in England (especially the selling of English slaves to foreigners). This is one of the earliest official church condemnations of slavery in medieval Europe. Banned clergy from frequenting taverns or participating in hunting and hawking. Forbade the wearing of ostentatious clothing by clergy. Condemned practices like incest, sorcery, and ordeals outside church regulation. Reaffirmed bans on marriage within certain degrees of kinship.1

The council was part of the wider Gregorian Reform movement, aiming to purify the clergy and enforce stricter discipline. Its ban on the slave trade is particularly remembered, as it reflects both Anselm’s reforming spirit and the Church’s growing moral authority in medieval England. It framed slavery, especially of Christians, as morally and religiously unacceptable within Christendom. Clergy and Christian leaders were discouraged from participating in or condoning the trade of Christian slaves and it reinforced the Church’s growing role as a moral authority over social practices.

The condemnation did not abolish slavery outright, since slavery and serfdom were deeply entrenched in the feudal system. And as it mainly applied to the sale of Christians; non-Christians could still be enslaved or traded, so the economic and social structures persisted. However, over time, it helped pave the way for laws and practices that would reduce outright slavery of Christians in Europe.

This stance contributed to the gradual decline of slavery in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. And it reinforced the concept of personal freedom as a Christian ideal, eventually influencing ideas about serfdom and human rights centuries later.

Outside of England the Third Lateran Council (1179) – Condemned the enslavement of Christians, particularly by Christians themselves, and prohibited the purchase of Christian slaves. Fourth Lateran Council (1215) – Reaffirmed that Christians should not be enslaved by other Christians; emphasized pastoral care for captives and moral reform. The Council of Florence (1439) – Addressed slavery in the context of expanding European contact with non-Christians; condemned enslaving Christians while largely permitting enslavement of non-Christians. The Council of Trent (1545–1563) – Did not abolish slavery but reinforced the dignity of Christians and addressed abuses related to forced labor and enslavement.